Dynasty
by HappyHollyWolly
Summary: Elladora Malfoy always thought she had a perfect life. Her time at Hogwarts wasn't supposed to be any different, however she soon learns that not everything in life is how she wants it to be. Struggling to live up to the expectations set by her family, Ella soon must decide between her happiness or being apart of a dynasty that won't accept her for being different. MalfoySisterFic!
1. Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the universe. The only thing I own is Elladora Malfoy and any other original characters that appear. All rights go to the respective owners.**

 **Re-edit: Main character name change!**

* * *

Elladora Malfoy had been waiting for this as soon as she realised Hogwarts existed. From the day her father told her and her twin brother, Draco, about the illusive school in the Highlands of Scotland and that they would be attending, in due time of course, Elladora anticipated it with great delight. She read books on the great history of the school and knew everything they really was to know. There was no question as to what house she would be sorted into; almost her entire family, on both her mother and her fathers sides, had all been sorted into Slytherin. Both her and Draco were prepped to excel in Hogwarts as proud Slytherin students. A house known for their ambition, cunning and determination, Elladora knew she would fit right in. Her parents also made sure both her and her brother mixed with other children that were expected to follow into Slytherin tradition. Such values had been entrust upon the Malfoy children from an early age, the ideology of Blood supremacy among the wizarding community. Although, in her young age, Elladora never quiet understood why is was so important, but followed staunchly in her parents teachings and beliefs.

It wasn't long ago that Elladora and Draco were called into their fathers study and handed their letters to Hogwarts. Elladora would have bounced up and down with glee if she knew she wouldn't ave been reprimanded for it by her father. _"You must behave like a Malfoy,"_ was a common phrase he thrust upon young Elladora. Every day since she has read over the letter and the accompanying list of school supplies again and again, almost expecting it to say something other than it did upon her first reading.

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Ms. E. Malfoy,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment_

 _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall,  
Deputy Headmistress._

Finally, today was the day her parents would be taking them to Diagon Alley to get their Hogwarts supplies. Elladora had barely been unable to sleep the night before with excitement. She woke early and dressed in some of her best clothes. Her long blonde hair hung in loose curls down her back. Once it reached an acceptable time, Elladora gleefully bounced out of her room and made her way down into the family dining room. However, it was still early enough that the house elves still bustled about. When Elladora entered the room, they quickly scattered into the kitchens or the side rooms. They were scared of her family, no matter if Elladora had never done any of them wrong. As she watched the last house elf scurry out of the room, Elladora felt a gentle hand rest itself on her shoulder. Turning around, Elladora looked up at her mother, Narcissa. Narcissa Malfoy had always appeared as the most beautiful woman in the world in her daughters eyes. Narcissa was born a member of the Noble and Ancient House of Black and had married Lucius Malfoy while they were still young. Both coming from families with a vast amount of riches, Elladora and Draco grew up in the lap of luxury, always having the best of everything and anything they ever wanted. Elladora never knew anything different. In her eyes, her life was perfect.

"Well, aren't you awake early," Narcissa stated, passing her daughter and going to take a seat at the dining table. The table was exceptionally large, but only thus so for them to cater for the large amounts of people the family would invite over for parties on occasion. In their regular, day-to-day affairs, only four places at the table would be set for the family. Elladora followed her mother and took her regular seat opposite her. "I remember going to Diagon Alley for my first year."

"Were you excited?" Elladora's eyes shined with eagerness.

"Yes," Narcissa said in a soft tone. "But not nearly as much as you are, young one."

"Can't we go now, Mother?" Elladora begged. "Please? I can't bare to wait any longer"

"Now, now," Narcissa calmed her. "We have to wait for your father and brother. It wouldn't be fair to go without them, now would it?"

"I suppose," Elladora shrugged as the house elves arrived with breakfast for her and her mother.

* * *

In what seemed to be an eternity of waiting that day, Lucius finally instructed his children to fetch their robes as they would be going soon. Elladora raced upstairs and was back down in only a matter of minutes, robe and all. They were taking the floo network, as Narcissa still considered the children too young to use side-along apparition. They had been to Diagon Alley many times on recreational shopping trips or to Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Elladora forever envied seeing the older children and teenagers doing their school supplies shopping at this time of year. Now it was her chance. She finally the opportunity to got Hogwarts and get her wands, robes and all. It all seemed so perfect and simple. She couldn't wait.

"Why are you so eager?" Draco asked his sister, as he rejoined the room, ready to go. Draco never shared his sisters excitability at the prospect of attending Hogwarts. It was a just school to him, something that would come along naturally. Elladora had idolised it and imagined it to the most perfect place on earth, where learning would only be one aspect of her time there.

"Why are you not?" Elladora fired back. "Draco, we can finally get our wands."

"So?" He shook his head. "Its not we not like do magic anyway. Unless you want to be expelled from Hogwarts before you even get there."

"But we'll be there soon," she said with a wide smile on her face. "And we'll be sorted into Slytherin and learn everything there is to know about magic."

"Not everything is _that_ perfect, Ella," she turned slowly, as her fathers voice echoed from behind her. Lucius Malfoy was a proud, cold and ruthless man with an unnerving shrewdness that embodied him. He intimidated his children, especially his daughter. More so than his wife, Lucius enforced the ideologies of blood purity and supremacy within in family and raised them as proud pure-bloods. He also enacted strict control over the family, making sure that they behaved in a way that never discredited the Malfoy name. "But one can only hope."

"Are you ready to go, dears?" Narcissa spoke, breaking the tension in the room. Elladora and Draco nodded silently as Narcissa escorted them over to the over sized fireplace. "Draco, you go first. Please wait at the other side or do you want one of us go with you?"

"Mother, we've done it before," Draco told her, taking a handful of floo powder and stepping into the fireplace."The Leaky Cauldron." In a burst of green flames, Elladora watched her brother disappear. Soon the flames receded and the fireplace had returned to its original emptiness.

"Okay Elladora, your turn," her mother let her hand slide from her shoulders. Repeating what Draco had already done, Elladora took a handful of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.

"The Leaky Cauldron," she enunciated, letting the powder go. Again, in a burst of green light, Elladora watched her family home dissolved around her and the dimly lit halls of the wizarding pub formed in front of her. She quickly eyed her brother sat at a table near the fireplace. Sitting down, Elladpra cleared her throat of the dust she had indirectly inhaled. "I hate floo travel. It's always so stuffy." Within moments, her mother and father both entered the Leaky Cauldron from the fireplace.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," Tom, the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron, greeted them. "Will I get you anything?"

"Not today," her father said before leading his family into the rear courtyard of the building. Taking the end of his cane, Lucius tapped the brick wall in a circular, anti-clockwise motion. The brick wall gave way a bustling shopping district lined with a wide variety of shops suited for every occasion. Their first destination, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, was a large building that stood proud at the opposite end of the street.

"Mother, must we go to the bank with you and Father?" Elladora queried as she eyed up some of the passing store fronts.

"Can we go look at broomsticks instead?" Draco added on, also sharing his sisters sentiment of not wishing to go to Gringotts with their parents. The goblins always scared Elladora and she always attempted to get out of going there, if she were able to.

"Alright, but we will meet you at Madam Malkins in half an hour," Narcissa told her children. "Your father doesn't wish to stay long."

"Thank you," Elladora chimed happily before running off into Quality Quidditch Supplies, passing the crowd of eager children gawking at the newly released Nimbus 2000 in the shop window.

* * *

After browsing Quality Quidditch Supplies, Twilfitt and Tattin's and Sugarplum's Sweet Shop, Elladora and Draco made their way to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions where they found their mother awaiting them.

"I thought I told you two half an hour. Your father has already gone to Flourish and Blotts to get your school books," Narcissa told them before turning to the witch dressed in all mauve. "Two sets of Hogwarts uniforms, Madam."

"Of course, who wishes to go first?" the witch, whom Elladora assumed was Madam Malkin herself, looked between her and twin.

"Elladoraa will," Narcissa decided.

"Alright, this way," Madam Malkin guided the young witch onto a footstool and placed long black robes over her head. "Theodora will see to you here. It's been very busy today, lots of young witches and wizards looking for their school robes. First years, are they?"

"Yes, they are," Narcissa answered bluntly, watching as the seamstress pinned Elladora's robes to the appropriate length. Elladora looked at herself in the mirror opposite her. It was hard to suppress the bursting feels of excitement that swelled within her. Soon the robes would bear the Slytherin house crest - a silver serpent upon a vibrant green field. "I'm going to pop up to Ollivander's and look at wands for you two. As soon as you are finished here I want you to join me."

"Okay Mother," Draco answered. Elladora was too busy looking at her reflection to answer. In what felt like no time at all, Elladora's robes were at an appropriate length and were being wrapped up along with her other uniform essentials. Draco was next to be fitted.

"I wonder what my wand core will be," Elladora pondered. She had often speculated the properties of her wand, reading books on how the wands length, cores and woods correspond to each wizard or witches individual personality.

"Unicorn hair," Draco answered.

"You don't know that for sure," Elladora replied back, somewhat annoyed.

"Wanna bet?" Draco smirked, teasing his sister further. Elladora folded her arms across her chest from her seat. Shortly after, a small, messy haired boy entered the clothing shop. He appeared to be the same age as them, if not younger. Madam Malkin welcomed him and brought him over to the neighbouring footstool.

"Hello," Elladora greeted him with a small smile. "Hogwarts too?"

"Yes," the boy replied and her brother turned his head to speak.

"Are you a first year?" Elladora questioned further. The boy just nodded as Madam Malkin herself saw to him. "So are my brother and I."

"Our father is next door buying our books and Mother's up the street looking at wands," Draco said. The messy haired boy just looked confused and overwhelmed, making Elladora wonder whether he was a muggleborn experiencing the magical world for the first time. "I'm going to get them to buy me a racing broom after. We were looking at ones earlier. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I'll get Father to buy me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

"I'd like to see Professor Snape's face when you arrive with a racing broom," the Potions professor at Hogwarts was a friend of the family. They were both followed of Lord Voldemort during his reign. Both Elladora and Draco were forbidden from speaking of their fathers involvement with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, but they knew rightly that he was one of them, even though claims to be influenced by the Imperius Curse. "It will be 100 points from Slytherin on the first day of term."

"It will not," Draco brushed her off, turning to look back at the messy haired boy. "Do you have your own broom?"

"No."

"Do you play Quidditch?" Elladora questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"No," he shook his head. This only added fuel to Elladoraa's theory of him being a muggleborn. It was no matter to her anyway, no muggleborn would be placed in Slytherin house and she assumed she would have very little association with the boy next to her, he were to be one. Nothing more an odd class or bumping into each other in a hallway.

"I do," Draco continued and pointed at his sister. "So does Ella. Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house." Draco paused for a moment. "Do you know what house you'll be in yet?"

"Nobody really knows for certain, Draco, until they get there" Elladora spoke, folding her hands across her knees. "But I'm certain we'll be in Slytherin. All out family have been."

"Imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave," Draco said snidely. "Wouldn't you?" Elladora nodded her head in agreement while the boy just made a 'hmmm' noise. "I say, look at that man!" Turning her head sharply to look at the shop front window, Elladora took notice of the incredibly large man with a black mass of scraggy bear and enormous robes.

"That's Hagrid," the boy finally spoke more than one word. "He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh, I've heard of him," Draco said. Elladora had heard about him too from their parents stories of the school. "He's sort of a servant, isn't he?"

"He's the gamekeeper," the boy corrected. Elladora noticed the boy look at them ever more suspiciously.

"Yes, exactly," Draco continued. "I heard he's a sort of savage."

"I heard he's half-giant," Elladore said scrunching up her nose. ' _Half-breed'_ her fathers voice echoed in the back of her head.

"I think he's brilliant," the boy said, making Elladore feel uncomfortable. The boy obviously had an appreciation for the Hogwarts employee.

"Do you?" Draco asked. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," he said monotonously. Elladora felt her face fall and noticed Draco's did the exact same.

"I'm sorry," Elladora spoke softly, biting her lip.

"But were they our kind, weren't they?" Draco asked. Elladora's theory was about to be confirmed or denied.

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean," Elladora breathed out quickly before realising she was holding it in.

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you?" her brother asked him. Elladora noticed a confused look on his face. "They're just not the same. They've never been brought up to know our ways."

"Obviously, they would have never heard of Hogwarts until their letter arrived," Elldaora began to chuckle. "Could you imagine."

"I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families," Draco stated. "What's your surname, anyway?" Before the messy haired boy could answer, Madam Malkin had finished with him, obviously a much better seamstress than the one tending to the Malfoy twins.

"We'll see you at Hogwarts," Elladora smiled at him as he paid and left the shop. "I wonder what his name is?"

"As long as he wasn't a muggleborn," Draco said in a gruff voice. Draco was particularly taken with their parents blood purity thinking's, blindly following them and hanging on every word they spoke against any magical person born to muggle parents. Even those of half-blood status were beneath them in their families eyes. Draco, hell-bend of doing their parents proud and following their ways, was much more vocal in this than his sister was. Elladora bit her touch more often that not. She didn't see reason to.

* * *

As soon as they were finished in Madam Malkin's, the pair made their way up the street to Ollivander's. It was the only shop in Diagon Alley where witches and wizards could purchase their wands. Entering the building, a tinkling bell sounded. Standing at the counter were their parents.

"Did you get everything?" Narcissa asked her children, both nodded in confirmation. She took the wrapped bundles from her children and placed them inside her bag - an undetectable extension charm allowed her to carry all the twins school supplies with ease as they went from shop to shop.

"Draco and Elladora Malfoy," the greying man behind the counter spoke. "I've been anticipating you two coming in." Draco was the first to volunteer to test wands, despite Elladora's objection. After three failed attempts, a wand finally choose him. It was 10 inches, made of Hawthorn wood with a unicorn hair core.

"Bet you a sickle," Draco said, referring to their earlier conversation as Elladora stood up to receive her wand. Mr. Ollivander had disappeared down a corridor with sounds of contemplation being heard every now and again. He emerged with five boxes that he thought would be suitable for her.

"Let's try this one," Mr. Ollivander handed her the wand. "9 and a half inches, vine with a dragon heartstring core and supple flexibility. Give it a wave." Looking at her parents for a brief moment, Elladora swished her want and rush of air swirled in the room, knocking everyone from their place.

"Oh no, no, no. Not that one." Ollivander put it back in it's case and extracted the next one. "10 inches, holly with a unicorn hair core. Quite flexible." Repeating the process, Elladora watched as a number of wand cases fell from the shelves behind the desk. "Hmmm," he took the wand from her again. Elladora hoped that it was third time lucky for her as he handed her the next wand.

"10 and a half inches, ebony wood with unicorn hair core and reasonably pliable." As soon as the piece of wood settled in her hand, Elladora felt an instant connection. Red sparks escaped from the end of her wand and Mr. Ollivander smiled. "The wand chooses the witch, Ms. Malfoy." Elladora smiled and looked back at her parents. At the corner of her eye, she watched her brother mouth 'I told you so' at her. Elladora just rolled her eyes and turned back.

"We must be getting on our way," her father spoke, breaking the silence. He paid Mr. Ollivander for both his children's wands and the family left. After visiting whatever shops remained for their school supplies, Elladora soon found herself back in the Leaky Cauldron and returning to Malfoy Manor. As of then, Elladora was counting down the remaining days until September 1st.


	2. September 1st

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the universe. The only thing I own is Elladora Malfoy and any other original characters that appear. All rights go to the respective owners.**

 **Re-edit: Main character name change!**

* * *

Elladora had already decided on the outfit she would wear on September 1st weeks in advance, so when she woke that morning she hastily sprung out of bed and threw it on. In anticipation, Elladora, with the help of one of the house elves, had packed (and re-packed) her trunk several times, adding and excluding different items that sprung to mind. The only things that remained to be packed were her last minute essentials. She was sat at her vanity in her bedroom and brushing her long blonde hair just as her heard a knock at the door. Turning gently in her chair, Elladora watched her mother gracefully enter her daughters bedroom. Narcissa had fretted over her children immensely in the number of weeks since their visit to Diagon Alley. The reality that her two children would be leaving for school very shortly had hit her hard and she tried to spend as much time with them as possible before their departure on September 1st. Narcissa even went as far as suggesting to her husband that the twins were simply too young and not ready for Hogwarts, and that waiting another year wouldn't hurt. Of course, Lucius refused, saying the children would do perfectly well at Hogwarts and, if they didn't, they would be taken out and sent to a school where they would, like Durmstrang. If Elladora didn't particularly like the idea of going to Sweden, her mother was worse. She was adamant that Durmstrang was too far away for them to attend school, saying Hogwarts was far enough away for her. It was at the other end of the country of course.

"Mother," Elladora greeted her with a smile on her face. Silently, Narcissa walked over and stood behind her daughter, looking into the mirror. She took her long fingers and began to run them through the top of her daughters hair.

"When I was your age, I was so scared to be going to Hogwarts," Narcissa told her daughter, as she began to weave Elladora's hair into a french braid. "I'd heard so much about it from my sisters-" Narcissa stopped herself. "Sister. I was scared about living up to the example she already set. I was scared of living up to my parents expectations. Was I smart enough? Would I make friends? And Marlin forbid, would I be placed in a house that wasn't Slytherin?"

"Really?" Elladora asked her mother, who's fingers continued to weave through her daughters hair. Elladora had always looked up to her mother, who had always seemed so strong and proud, yet loving and kind to her children and husband. To think of her mother as scared was something unthinkable for Elladora, even if her mother was only her age at the time.

"Yes," Narcissa answered. "But it all worked out for the best and I know, without a doubt, if will be the same for you and your brother." Narcissa paused for a brief moment, letting her words settle in her daughters mind. "I don't have to worry about you, Ella. You've always been smart and confident and determined. You'll be fine at Hogwarts. There's nothing you should be worried about."

"I'm not," Elladora shook her head. Should she be? Elladora always knew what she wanted from Hogwarts and she never doubted it. Now the ' _what if_ ' had begun to rear in her mind.

"Of course you're not," Narcissa said, finishing off the braid in her daughters hair. "Promise me you'll write every week and tell me everything about your year."

"I promise," Elladora smiled wearily into the mirror.

"I'll go down to your father in the dining room," Narcissa said with sigh. "Make sure to join us soon, the train won't wait and you'll need breakfast for the long journey." Narcissa turned and went to walk out of the room. Just as she came to the door, she stopped and turned around. "Oh, and your father wishes to speak with you and your brother before we go to London."

* * *

Elladora had barely been able to eat breakfast with the excitement and newly found nervousness that boiled within her. Despite the build up to the day that had been experienced in the Malfoy house, nobody mentioned the subjects of children's departure for school at the breakfast table, not even Elladora or Draco themselves. The silence of their morning meal was almost like one of any other day. Both Malfoy children sat anticipating their fathers words of warning for their time at school. The personal rules he will set upon them that they must abide by along side the rules established in the castle walls. It was only when their father rose from the breakfast table that the silence was broken.

"Before you go, there are a few things you two need to know," Lucius said, moving his eyes between his children. "When you're at Hogwarts, you must act with respect for your family name. The Malfoy's have a long tradition with the school. It is only just that you maintain that level of respect among the students. Be especially careful with who you befriend. You don't want to make friends with the wrong sorts, now do you. And don't forget to study hard and earn house points for Slytherin. I hope you don't forget these bits of advice." Silence returned as the twins gawked at their father. "Now go, its almost time we leave for London."

Lucius was always cold and distant with his children, acting in more of an authoritative role than a fatherly one. He encouraged his children to maintain the beliefs of the family and to keep the respect of their namesake. But, Narcissa made up for Lucius' detachment in the love she bore her children. In a matter of minutes, the twins had returned downstairs with their cloaks, ready to go. Their baggage had already been brought down by the house elves. Only this time, the family would be apparating to Platform 9 and 3/4. Elladora was side-along apparating with her mother along with her trunk while Draco and his belonging went with their father. Lucius had made a point of wanting to avoid muggle interaction and thus decided that apparition was the most direct form of transportation for them.

"Are you ready, Darling?" Narcissa asked her daughter with a cautious smile. Elladora nodded and took her mothers free hand. The other resting on her luggage. In a quick whoosh, Elladora felt her body contort and move in such a manner that made her stomach turn. In the blink of an eye, her feet were on solid ground again and her body in its regular shape. It wasn't the first time that Elladora had side-along apparated with one of her parents and she no longer vomited in the immediate aftermath. Turning around, Elladora's eyes widened at the side of the seemingly huge Hogwarts Express. A whoosh sounded behind her and she assumed it was her father and brother who followed.

The time read 10.30 a. the platform was growing ever more crowded with witches and wizards traveling to the platform. While the Malfoys had apparated, many wizarding families traveled via the passageway between platforms 9 and 10 at the muggle Kings Cross Station. Having several children at Hogwarts and the volume of luggage that would need to transported always made that more feasible for larger families to travel to the Hogwarts Express. Narcissa hurried on the Malfoy family through the crowd and managed to have their baggage safely loaded onto the train.

"Be careful now," Narcissa said, kissing each of her children's heads. "Don't be up to any mischief or anything. And stay safe."

"Let them go, Narcissa," Lucius said, standing behind her wife.

"Bye Mother, bye Father," the twins chimed in disunion as they border the train. Elladora and Draco took a seat in a compartment already occupied by some familiar faces; Vincent Crabbe, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson and Gregory Goyle.

* * *

The next few hours on the Hogwarts Express dragged immensely. Elladora distanced herself from the other prospective students plans for mischief and bullying of any muggleborns in their year. Although she was raised not to tolerate their kind, she wasn't malicious enough to cause harm to them. In the end, Elladora left the compartment to go for a walk. They weren't close enough to warrant changing into their school robes yet, but they would be well withing the borders of Scotland. While Elladora meandered around the students who occupied the corridors of the train, she felt the nervousness that had sprouted that morning rise. She tried telling herself that it would be alright and that she was getting herself worried over nothing, but she couldn't shake the feeling that dwelled in the pit of her stomach.

"Excuse me," Elladora stopped and turned around to look at the girl who had tapped her on the shoulder. She was shorter than her by an inch or two, so Elladora assumed she too was a first year going to Hogwarts. Her bushy hair overwhelmed her head and two large teeth sat at the front of her mouth. "Have you seen a toad by any chance? A boy named Neville has lost one. I told him I would help him find it, but I'm having a rather hard time of it."

"I haven't, sorry," Elladora said.

"Are you a first year?" the girl asked her. Her brown eyes widened happily.

"Yes, I'm Elladora," she introduced herself. The bushy haired girl extended her hand and Elladora shook it politely.

"I'm Hermione," she said. "I've been reading all about Hogwarts for weeks. Ever since I got my letter. Nobody in my family is magic, so it was the biggest surprise. "

"I'm sorry, I've got to be getting back to my compartment, my friends are waiting for me," Elladora tried to excuse herself as politely once the girl, Hermione, introduced herself as a muggleborn. Her fathers words rang through her mind. _They're not really our kind. They have a lower, dirtier form of magic than what we possess. Ours is pure and natural. They shouldn't be allowed to attend Hogwarts_. "I'll keep an eye out for that frog though."

"Oh okay," Hermione shrugged. "Oh and it's a toad. Neville's named him Trevor if it's any help. I hope I'll see you later."

"Bye," Elladora walked on. On her wanderings, she happened to come across a compartment with the door held back. She recognized the figures standing just within as Crabbe and Goyle. They were always on her brothers heels, so she undoubtedly knew that Draco was in there as well. Pushing her way in, she caught the tail end of what her brother was saying.

"...you'll go the same way as your parents," Draco said in a threatening tone. "You hang around with riffraff like the Weasley's and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you."

"Draco," Elladora interrupted him. Her light blue eyes narrowed as she came face to face with her twin brother. She never liked when he behaved like this, knowing he mainly only did so to impress their father. "What are you doing?" She looked around and spotted what she assumed to be two other first years. One was about her height with a mess of red hair adorning his head and he wore old, obviously worn clothes. She knew in the back of her mind that he was only of the Weasley's whom her father despised. The other boy she recognised as the young boy from Madam Malkin's on their trip to Diagon Alley.

"Just giving Potter here a little warning about making friends," Draco said and Ella's head snapped away from looking between the other two boys and towards her brother.

"You mean Harry Potter?" Elladora asked and her brother nodded. She turned again to look at the messy haired boy. "You're Harry Potter?" He nodded in silence, staring at the blonde girl. "Well then. Move off Draco before I write a letter to Mother telling her about the..."

"Okay, okay," Draco said, moving slightly to make his way out of the compartment. "Listen to what I said Potter. Come on." Draco led the way out and was quickly followed hot on the heels by Crabbe and Goyle.

"I apologize for my brother, he can be a bit of arse," Elladora said rolling her eyes.

"You don't think," the red headed boy spoke in a tone that irked Elladora.

"And you are?" Elladora sneered.

"Ron Weasley," he introduced himself confidently, holding what Elladora assumed was his pet rat in his hands. Elladora never understood the obsession with bringing an animal to Hogwarts. Their parents had purchased an owl for the twins to use to write letters home to them and that was the extent of it. Between rats, toads and cats, Elladora had seen plenty on her previous wanderings through the Hogwarts Express corridors.

"Thought as much," she said, keeping her eyes narrowed. "I'm Elladora Malfoy. I expect we'll be seeing each other at Hogwarts then." It was then she noticed the dim colour the sky had adopted outside of the window. "If you excuse me, I must go change. It looks like we'll be arriving soon." Quickly, Elladora exited the compartment and made her way back to the one she shared with the other prospective Slytherins. As soon as she had changed into her plain black school robes and settled back into her seat, a monotonous voice echoed through the train.

 _'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.'_

* * *

"What are you not excited anymore?" Draco asked, noticing his sisters nervous demeanor as the train ground to a stop.

"Of course I still am," Elladora said, spreading a smile across her face. "and obviously, I'm nervous, Draco. It's the first day of school."

"Don't worry, I'll be there," Draco said. "Just don't embarrass me in front of Potter or Weasley anymore, okay."

"Promise," Elladora replied with a soft smile. The Malfoy twins allowed the other students in emptying the train. While standing on the platform, contemplating where they were to go, Elladora spotted the half-giant that was present on Diagon Alley with Harry Potter; Hagrid.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" He bellowed at the top of his voice. Elladora spotted the logic in the situation as she and the other first years from the compartment neared him - Hagrid was near impossible to miss, so why not send him to gather the first years together rather than a regular sized witch or wizard. "C'mon, follow me. Any more firs' years? Mind yer step now! Firs' years follow me!"

"Where do you think we're going?" Pansy questioned as the half-giant led the group of first years down a steep, narrow dirt path.

"I've no idea," Elladora answered, following the lead of whatever student that was in front of her.

"Ye' all get yet firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec" Hagrids booming voice was heard clearly among the whole group of Hogwarts first years. "jus' around this bend here."

Elladora then found herself at the edge of the Black Lake. Looking up, she saw before her sitting proud on the cliff edge not too far away; Hogwarts. Its glistening candle lights in its windows made it dazzle in the darkness that had crept over the Highlands. Its towers stood tall, Elladora thought they would almost touch the sky. Elladora couldn't believe her eyes.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrids voice broke her from her daze. She had not realised most of the other students with whom she had traveled with had already boarded boats docked along the edge of the lake. She followed Pansy and joined her, Millicent Bulstroke and Daphne Greengrass in a boat. "Everyone in? Right then- FORWARD!" In a soft motion, Elladora felt the boat move off from the shoreline and glide gracefully across the peaceful waters of the Black Lake. Nobody spoke, all of the students were in awe of castle that sat before them.

"Heads down!" Hagrid yelled as the boats all entered a cave at the basin of the cliff that supported Hogwarts. Elladora cringed as they passed through a curtain of ivy before entering a dark, long tunnel. Elladora thought it was a rather extravagant way of transporting the new students to the school. Reaching a harbour in, what seemed to be, directly under the castle, Elladora climbed out of the boat and joined the first years as they clambered up into a passageway. The light from Hagrids lamp providing the only source of light in the darkness of the tunnel, however, they were soon illuminated by moonlight as they came to the exit. Elladora found herself standing in the shadow of the school she had anticipated attending since she was seven years old. She let out a gentle sigh at the sight of the castle in such proximity the reality of the situation settling around her and butterflies in her stomach again began to flutter like they had never done so before.

* * *

Entering the castle, Elladora and the other Hogwarts first years found themselves greeted by a tall witch adorned in emerald green robes and with a stern demeanour. Hagrid introduced her as Professor McGonagall, the deputy Headmistress - Elladora remembered her name from her initial letter from Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall had lead them into the entrance hall of the castle with each student, especially Elladora, craning her neck to take in every inch of the gigantic space that surrounded her. Tapestries hung from the walls and were illuminated by a number of flaming torches, then at the centre of the room stood the grand marble staircase decorated in a lavish red carpet. It almost seemed to welcome Elladora; all she wanted to do was climb them and explore every inch of the castle and its grounds.

Following the lead of Professor McGonagall, the humming of voices grew louder and louder the closer they got to a pair of grand double doors at one end of the entrance hall. However, the Transfiguration teacher escorted the students past them and into a small chamber just to the right.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts." Elladora looked over at her brother. Almost by chance, he was beginning to look over at her. They both knew their place. "You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spent your free time in your house common room."

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." Professor McGonagall stopped for a moment, her eyes bouncing from student to student. "The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Elladora noticed the teacher look at a little longer at one boy who stood with a toad in his hands. Elladora only assumed that he was the boy, Neville, she had heard about. "I shall return for you when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

"Sorting Ceremony?" Daphne proclaimed in worry. "What are we supposed to do?"

"My Father told me that they place a manky old hat on your head," Draco replied.

"Its bewitched to look into the wearer mind and know which house they are best suited," Elladora finished, using the knowledge she had learned from one of her textbooks. "No matter. There's no denying where we'll end up."

"Our families have been in Slytherin for centuries," Draco continued with a smug look on his face. Elladora smiled through the nerves that dwelled within her. In a matter of minutes, Elladora would finally have the confirmation of something she had expected for years - to be a Slytherin student.


End file.
